At October 22 Cisco released the Cisco 1000v version 2.1 software which is available for download. For more info see my earlier post.

This is the first version that comes in two editions. A free version named Essential Edition and a paid named Advanced Edition. The software bits are the same. To upgrade to Advanced Edition a license needs to be applied.

Starting with Release 4.2(1)SV2(1.1), a tier-based Licensing approach is adopted for the Cisco Nexus 1000V. The Cisco Nexus 1000V is shipped in two editions: Essential and Advanced. A new CLI command is provided to display the current switch edition and the other licensing information. In the two tier licensing model supported with Release 4.2(1)SV2(1.1), the software image is the same for both the editions. You can switch between the two editions at any time. The switch edition configuration is global. The entire switch (supervisor and all modules) is either in the Essential edition or the Advanced edition.

Essential Edition

When the Release 4.2(1)SV2(1.1) software is installed, the Essential edition is the default edition. When the switch is configured in the Essential edition, all the features (other than the advanced features) are available for free for unlimited time. No licenses are required to operate the Essential edition. The switch edition configuration is global and not per module. In Essential edition, all the modules are automatically licensed. Use the svs switch edition command to move the switch from the Essential edition to the Advanced edition and vice versa.